Windsor shines after Brumbies boost

QUEANBEYAN Whites flyhalf Sam Windsor says a preseason spent training fulltime
with the ACT Brumbies has him in the best shape of his life heading into this
year's John I Dent Cup.

Windsor was a standout for the Whites in last
weekend's Brumbies Q Sevens tournament at Campese Field.

While Queanbeyan
suffered a semi-final defeat at the hands of Parramatta, the 25-year-old showed
enough during his time on the park to suggest he will play a dominant role in
Queanbeyan's title charge this season.

Windsor returned to Queanbeyan last
year after two seasons plying his trade in England and has spent the past four
months training with the Brumbies extended pre-season squad.

And he said his
time with the Super 15 outfit had him ready to hit the ground running with the
Whites set to get their John I Dent Cup campaign underway next month. "I've been
training since October with the Brumbies so I feel like I've got a good base
there. Now it's just about taking that into the season with Queanbeyan," he
said.

"Hopefully I can use that extra work I've been doing to lift the boys
around me and we can go into the season one step ahead of everyone
else.

"Physically and mentally I'm switched on and touch wood I haven't got
any niggling injuries. If I can stay this way all season it'll be a good
year."

Despite impressing coaching staff during his time with the Brumbies,
Windsor proved unable to secure a contract with the Super 15 outfit for the 2013
season.

But after falling victim to the Brumbies current abundance of
playmaking options, Windsor said he would continue to press his claims for a
call-up to the top flight.

"I take plenty of encouragement out of knowing
that mentally more so than physically I'm not that far off and that I'm ready to
go if there's a call up here or anywhere else around the place," Windsor said of
his time training with the Brumbies.

"That's something I'll probably look
more toward at the end of the year and then just see where things take me."